Lynn Ward 5 City Council candidate Marven Hyppolite’s campaign purportedly “has been the subject of recent controversy.” What “controversy”? The action he took was merely a personal decision to become ‘unenrolled’ on the voter checklist.
The so-called controversy is entirely a perception contrived by any individuals or any organized body to read beyond a private matter. The Item missed an opportunity to remain out of the fray, rather than contributing to it.
As a long-time active member of an established party, I too became unenrolled when I moved to my current address nine years ago.
Voting trends in this new millennium trends are skewing that way: An independent electorate remains open to true analysis of a candidate and his/her policies and mind-set and shows a more refined thinking process than following in divisive lock-step.
Hyppolite is seeking a seat in a local municipal race which has traditionally remained refreshingly nonpartisan. Mayoral candidates in two of the last three elections played the ‘party card’ and lost their bid, thankfully, in part for using this unethical ploy. Marven’s day job is largely irrelevant beyond his role and experience as a public outreach case worker to assist citizens with navigating government policies and services.
Linking his party affiliation to that of his employer is a quantum miss-leap of logic. And to condemn the fact that several of his co-workers happen to know his service-oriented nature enough be be moved to assist his campaign is also obtuse thinking.
To even bring up party affiliation in a nonpartisan race taints the entire process.
Calvin Anderson
